Getting the Drop on Spoon Fed Trout

A vertical lure presentation is obvious when fishing from a boat, but it is often overlooked by the shore-bound fisherman. We cast out and retrieve at one depth, whether that be near the surface or along the bottom or at one given depth inbetween. Most lures are designed to be most effective on the retrieve. Spoons, on the other hand, are equally effective on the drop as on the retrieve. By using a start and stop retrieve you can cover the entire water column. This is a technique that works great when walking the banks of steep sided lakes and ponds for suspended trout.

My spoon of choice for this technique is the Len Thompson. This rainbow’s day was interupted by a Len No. 7..

It will take a few casts to find the proper pattern of starts and stops. Begin with a cast to deep water. Take up most of the slack line. Count at a steady pace and watch the line. when the lure hits bottom take note and begin your retrieve. I generally reel this first cast straight in. It is likely that your spoon picked up some weed or algae. The next cast is when we start fishing. Repeat the process, but start your retrieve one or two counts less than it took to reach bottom on the first cast. For example; if it hit bottom at 10 on the previous cast, start reeling at 8 or 9 this time. Now, this cast I will again reel straight in, but with confidence that it is clean. Your lure will cut a diagonal path from the lake bottom to surface at the shoreline, and hopefully encounter trout along the way.

This nice stocked rainbow was one of many on a day when “the drop” was key.

Next, try some mid retrieve drops. About halfway in, let it drop while counting. Note when you hit bottom. Subtract one or two and use this as your mid-retrieve drop count. Now, your retrieve will start with a vertical flutter toward the bottom, swim diagonally up toward the surface, flutter downward again, and finally swim to the surface again. With this sytem you can cover the entire water column with a zig zag pattern. Make a mental note of when and where the trout take the spoon and try to maximize the spoon’s time in that part of the retrieve. Maybe they are mostly hitting on the drop, so you add more drops. Maybe they are deep and far and you only need that first drop to connect with fish. Experiment with retrieves.

Experiment with color too. On this day, the classic 5-O-Diamnonds was irresistible.

One last important tip: watch your line like a hawk. If you see any movement of the line on your drops, take up the slack and be ready to set the hook. Often the bite is visual. You may never feel them take. Put this retrieve and some spoons in your arsenal for trout or any gamefish in steep sided waters. It will payoff when other presentations do not.